Bibliography
| Title: Joash and Elisha in Josephus, Ant. 9.177-185 Secondary Title: Abr. Volume: 32 Pages: 28-46 Type: Journal Article Year: 1994 Abstract: Ruiten, J.T.A.G.M. van in: JSJ 28.4 (1997), 465: "The purpose of this essay is to investigate Josephus' version of 2 Kgs 13:10-25 in Ant. 9.177-185. B. takes into account four major witnesses to the text of Kings: MT, Codex Vaticanus, the Lucianic or Antiochene Manuscripts of LXX [L] and Targum Jonathan on the Former Prophets. The most noteworthy point to emerge from this investigation is the series of contacts between Josephus and the peculiar L readings/order: placing of the data of MT 13:(12)13 at the very end of the segment, the absence of 13.23 in its MT position, the inserted "fulfillment notice" in 13:25".
"Ant. 9.185a, mention of Jeroboam's accession only after Joash's burial contra the MT order in 13:13. Positive indications for his dependance on a MT-like text appear to be lacking. As far as the rewriting techniques of Josephus are concerned, B. points to the fact that Josephus modifies the account of 2 Kgs 13:10-25 in both style and content. Stylistically, he replaces the source's parataxis with a hypotaxis more in line with standard Greek usage. On occasion he substitute indirect for biblical direct discourse. In place of Josh's designation of the prophet as Israel's "chariot(s) and horsemen", he has the king address Elisha with the title "armour". The dead man revived by contact with the prophet's remains is "murdered" by "some robbers" who themselves toss the corpse into Elisha's grave, whereas in the biblical text it is an Israelite burial party who so disposes of the Body of a "man" upon the approach of Moabite raiders. Striking is Josephus' transformation of the evil-doing king Joash into a "good" man. Josephus did not hesitate to directly "contradict" particular Biblical statements when the narrative plausibility of his overall presentation seemed to call for such a procedure. Moreover, Josephus completely eliminates or drastically compresses various of the components of 2 Kgs 13:10-25, whereas he also introduces a variety of expansions. With his rewriting Josephus eliminates the problem of the cordial relationship between Elisha and a "bad" king posed by the bible. The Josephan Elisha emerges as a still more noteworthy and memorable figure than his biblical counterpart".
JSJ 27 (1996), 460: "The author compares the text of Josephus' Antiquities to II Reg 13,10-15 and concludes that Josephus probably had before him a biblical text resembling the Lucianic tradition, that he modified Joash into a good king in order to account for the positive rapport between Elisha and the Israelite ruler, and that he was eager to increase Elisha's stature". Keywords: Antiquities |